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social status, affiliations, motivation, and good fortune; the desire to gracefully meet and exceed material needs without continual worry about the cost of living.
Sense of identity. Money as helping to define our sense of who we are; how it builds and fortifies ego strength, contributing to a mental and emotional stability in daily life that helps weather difficulties; the "safety net" function it may serve in stabilizing assaults to the ego.
Success. Money as one yardstick of success, having "made it" in the world, feeling competent, enhancing self-worth; enjoying respect from others, being recognized for one's contribution; and being perceived as a desirable "catch" in the social world.
Freedom. Money as the means to create personal and financial independence, to have time to spend the way one wishes rather than tied to a rigid work schedule; to break away from the crowd and enjoy life through hobbies, family, interests, travel, and possessions.
Power. Money as a means to exert influence over others; to get one's way in the world; to have the clout to get things done; to attain position and influence in the business world, social and political organizations; to be able to join clubs that one wishes; to be accorded special favor and recognized by others; to distinguish oneself from the crowd.
Retirement and leisure. To be able to retire when one wishes rather than work for a lifetime; to afford a leisure lifestyle to the degree one wishes; to spend time with hobbies, interests, sports rather than feel financially compelled to work full time; to have discretionary income or savings so as not to have to worry about old age, medical or life insurance; to have something to look forward to.
The Real Cost of Losing Money
Listing the previous associations to money helps us to realize that our activities of earning, accumulating, spending, and investing money all carry with them the particular values and meanings associated to it that we have developed through our lives.
When money means some or all of these things to us, we can see how both fear and greed slip into the picturewe have more riding

 
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